A win for Ontario wolves and coyotes!

April 5, 2016

We just got some amazing news — the Ontario government is abandoning its bad plan to let hunters to gun down more wolves and coyotes!

We told you earlier this year about Ontario’s attempts to weaken hunting laws so that wolves and coyotes could be shot and killed more easily. The government planned to double the number of wolves that hunters can kill (raising the limit from one to two), and allow an unlimited number of wolves to be shot and killed in northern parts of the province.

Although officials tried to justify expanding this brutal hunt expansion by claiming it would protect declining moose populations, the government’s own research shows that moose hunting is the problem — not predation by wolves and coyotes. Shockingly, Ontario still allows baby moose calves to be hunted, something Animal Justice has also opposed. It seemed quite clear that the proposal to kill more wolves and coyotes was about bowing to pressure from hunters, and not about science, evidence, or proper wildlife management.

Animal Justice fought to protect wolves and coyotes from increased hunting by filing a formal legal submission with the government. And we weren’t alone. Over the short seven-day comment period, a whopping 12,113 comments were sent in through the Environmental Registry — most of them opposing this cruel proposal.

Now, thanks to the thousands of people who submitted comments and signed petitions, the government was forced to listen. It announced on Monday that no additional wolves or coyotes would be killed, acknowledging widespread opposition to hunting and trapping, as well as comments that a wolf/coyote cull is not science-based and will not protect moose populations. It also acknowledged that there was no way to ensure the sensitive population of Eastern wolves would not be targeted – a species distinct from the larger population of grey wolves, and listed under endangered species law as facing potential population threats.

This victory is proof that when compassionate Canadians join together to demand our politicians treat animals with respect, we can win. On behalf of wolves and coyotes, thank you to the thousands of individuals and organizations who fought this cruel proposal and won a tremendous victory for animals.